Chief Chuks Ajaelu, is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Imo State and one of the major supporters of the governorship bid of the party’s governorship flagbearer, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
In this interview with INNONEWS, Ajaelu bared his mind on the chances of the PDP and its governorship candidate, to take over power from the All Progressives Congress, APC in the November 11, 2023 governorship election.
Excerpts
May We Know You
I am Chief (Amb) Chuks Ajaelu, JP, PHF, KSC.
I am form Ihitte/Uboma LGA in Okigwe Zone of Imo State.
I am the Imo State Co-ordinator, Atiku/Okowa Volunteer Groups Management Team (AVGMT).
I was also one time Imo PDP State Chairmanship aspirant in 2016 and 2020 respectively.
I have also participated in various PDP Committees both in LGA, the State and at the National Levels.
I am equally a stakeholder and member of the Divine Mandate Movement (DMM) of Senator Samuel Anyanwu that worked assiduously for his emergence as the party’s governorship candidate for the November 11th governorship election.
What are the unique selling points of your party’s governorship candidate, Senator Anyanwu and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ahead of the November 11, 2023 governorship election?
Senator Samuel Anyanwu is not a newbie in Imo politics. The PDP is a well structured political party in the State.
We are working behind the scenes before the campaigns begin in June this year.
I want to assure you that all our stakeholders will be on one page very soon to propel the party to victory in the governorship election.
Our candidate, Senator Anyanwu possesses all the credentials to be governor of Imo State.
His acceptance is beyond the PDP. His acceptability is beyond the boundary of the PDP.
None of the past governors in the State, from Dee Sam Mbakwe, up to the present governor, is well groomed in the state, like Senator Anyanwu.
He is a homegrown politician, who has done well in all public offices he was elected to hold. He has the experience and posses enormous administrative skills, competence and acumen to govern Imo .
His antecedents speak for him. He was elected, twice, as local government chairman of Ikeduru Local Government Area.
He was a two time member of the Imo State House of Assembly, where as a lawmaker, he played significant roles to stabilize both PDP and non PDP state governments in the State.
He was later elected Senator to represent Owerri zone in the Senate where he gave good representation for the zone.
At the Senate, despite the fact, he was a first timer, he was appointed Chairman of a powerful committee of the Senate, the Ethics and Privileges Committee.
There is no Nigerian Senator who went to the Senate for the first time and was made Chairman of such a powerful Committee. You can verify this fact.
He was also, Vice Chairman of other Powerful Senate committees such as Marine and Immigration etc. He acquired both robust legislative experiences at the State and National Assembly.
His antecedents are verifiable and this tells you that he was not in the Senate to make up the number of Senators or warm the Red Chambers.
In 2019, he vied to be governor of Imo State. He was not successful at that time, but now he is in the contest, I believe this is his time for him to exhibit all the characteristics and experiences he has acquired to lead the state.
He represents a breath of fresh air in the State and if he is elected governor, he will certainly live up to expectations.
Is Imo PDP United to re-capture power in the State. Are Party leaders are one page in view of the controversial circumstances which led to the withdrawal of Emeka Ihedioha from the guber primary?
There are no cracks in the PDP in the State.
In politics, what we have are interests. And when these interests are managed, there is no basis for rancour.
However, I give the former Governor, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, kudos for stepping down from contesting the PDP governorship primary in the State.
He is a man who has served the party in various capacities and still does. He is a statesman, and one the PDP is so dear to.
Because if he had contested the guber Primary, the rancor which may have trailed the conduct of the primary, may not have settled or abated by now.
His decision not to contest is a mark of statesmanship. He deserves kudos. If not, perhaps, the party would not have come out from a rancourous primary.
But I must tell you that the PDP is one in Imo State and the State Working Committee, SWC, led by Engr Charles Ugwu, is working as a team, trying to put things in order in the party, to ensure victory for our candidate and the PDP in the governorship election.
Engr Ugwu is working towards the direction of rejuvenating and reviving our party, which is geared towards ensuring victory for the PDP in the forthcoming governorship election.
Has Gov Uzodimma And the APC lived Up To Expectations In 3 years, especially in areas of infrastructure such as Roads?
Certainly not. There is a consensus that Uzodimma and the APC cannot continue to govern Imo State.
Majority of Imolites are not happy with the APC government of Hope Uzodimma. That is a fact.
This government failed in the simple responsibility of providing security for the people.
The hospitality Imo State is known for, has completely vanished. Non state actors have overrun the State. From Orlu, to Okigwe, people live in fear.
Even Uzodimma, the governor cannot stay in his Orlu zone from Friday to Sunday because of insecurity. It is that bad and this is well known to the people.
Sen. Samuel Anyanwu’s one point agenda for the State is to secure the people of Imo State. When you secure the State, you secure education, you secure the judiciary, you secure the future of the youths.There will be youth empowerment and a conducive environment for rapid infrastructural development.
A PDP government led by Senator Anyanwu and his Running Mate, Rt Hon.Jones Onyeriri will bring back confidence of the people in governance and make Imo Safe Again.
You talk of roads Uzodimma did, these are roads Ihedioha led PDP government had mapped out to build.
Government is a continuum; Uzodimma only continued to build roads Ihedioha started. Uzodimma inherited a good infrastructural framework already put in place by an Ihedioha/PDP government.
When the PDP was in power for eight months during the time of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, there were signature projects in the State. The people felt the impact of governance.
Aside that, the PDP government introduced an effective accounting system in the State.
Ihedioha domesticated Treasury Single Account, TSA, compared to the APC government of Rochas Okorocha which operated over 300 government accounts. And barely eight months of that PDP government, the IGR of the State went up to over N1bn.
During the PDP/Ihedioha government, salaries and pensioners were paid. I remember my senior brother’s wife, who was a pensioner, came all the way from the United States for her verification, to earn her pension. These were not happening before. But it happened during a PDP government.And it was regular.
Senator Anyanwu, our governorship candidate, will replicate this feat when he is elected governor of the State in November.
And I can assure you that by the time the PDP will unveil its manifesto ahead of the November election, the people will choose our candidate, Senator Anyanwu as the next governor.
Does PDP Have The Needed Connect And Support From Imolites To Defeat The APC
Yes, we have. The PDP remains the most acceptable political party in Imo State. You can go cross check this fact.
The Labour party is not a major contender for Imo guber. The Peter Obi phenomenon in the state was just a phase. And it has fizzled away.
It does not exist anymore particularly ahead of the November governorship election, they are bugged down with leadership problems and other crisis.
The Obi factor is not a factor in the governorship election of the State, rather local issues will determine where ndi imo will vote.
The PDP is the most acceptable party and you can see that the two other major contestants in the guber race, Senator Athan Achonu and even, Governor Hope Uzodimma, all came from the PDP. That tells you how formidable the party is. It is the Peoples Party.
The APC Seems To Be The Dominant Party In The State Considering It’s Impressive Run In The State House Of Assembly Election
The APC hijacked the State Assembly election in Imo State. The outcome of the election does not reflect the wishes of the people of Imo State.
The election was a charade. And I will tell you that the PDP will recover most of it’s stolen mandates during the House of Assembly election at the election Petitions Tribunal.
Isu is in the column of PDP and I am hopeful we will recover Ehime Mbano, Isiala Mbano and Ihitte Uboma State constituencies and few others.
At the Guber election, we will checkmate Governor Hope Uzodimma and the PDP will come out victorious.
What Role Would Senator Anyanwu And The Party Want You To Play To Ensure Victory For The Party In The Forthcoming Election?
I am always available to the service of my party. If the party deem me fit to serve in any specific area, I will do so, as along as it will contribute towards our victory.
